1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking and smoking devices and more particularly, to a smoking and baking apparatus which is characterized by an upward-standing cabinet having a firebox and removable fuel tray in the bottom thereof and an outer and inner shell, with an channel defined by the outer shell and inner shell. A removable water pan is located in the cabinet above the firebox, for directing smoke from the firebox upwardly through the channel around a centrally located cooking chamber defined by the inner shell. A vertical chimney is provided in the cabinet channel, which chimney communicates with the cooking chamber at a chimney inlet located in the bottom segment of the inner shell, and the chimney vents to the atmosphere through a chimney outlet provided in the upper portion of the outer shell. When the water pan is placed in the cabinet, smoke generated in the firebox is deflected by the water pan through the channel and downwardly into the cooking chamber across spaced trays containing meat or other food to be smoked and baked, and subsequently upwardly, through the chimney to the atmosphere. The removable water pan provided in the cabinet thus serves to facilitate smoking and baking food in the cooking chamber when located in the cabinet, and barbequing and grilling the food, when removed. In a preferred embodiment the fuel tray is removable from the firebox in the cabinet for removing ashes and recharging with wood, charcoal or other fuel.
One of the problems which exist in conventional smoking and cooking devices is that of maintaining the smoke in contact with meat or other food to be cooked for a sufficient period of time to permeate the meat and food and create a desirable smoked flavor. Another problem is excessive drying of the food and particularly meat, by applying too much heat directly to the food. Still another problem found in many smoking and cooking devices, is poor access to the smoked food and the corresponding difficulty of placing food in, and removing food from the device. Yet another problem which is sometimes realized while using these devices to cook food in cold weather, is that of poor insulation in the smoker/cooker, a condition which results in extended cooking time and excessive drying of the food.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices are known in the art for distributing smoke and other vapor from a central location throughout a cabinet or housing, in order to contact the smoke or vapor with food products placed in the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 678,212, dated July 9, 1901, to G. E. Alphin, details a "Fumigating Apparatus", which includes an upward-standing enclosure provided with fluid reservoirs for containing a quantity of fumigating fluid. The enclosure is designed to facilitate the passage of fumigating vapors from the reservoirs throughout the enclosure to fumigate various fruits and vegetables placed on trays located in the enclosure. A "Metallic Smokehouse" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,327,937, dated Jan. 13, 1920, and U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 14,965, dated Oct. 26, 1920, to B. Bilderback. The smokehouse includes a cabinet provided with an internal smoking chamber fitted with brackets for receiving spaced trays. The smoking chamber is separated from the walls of the cabinet enclosure and smoke from a firebox located in the base of the cabinet flows through openings provided in the smoking chamber to permeate the meat or other food located on the trays. U.S. Pat. No. 1,493,889, dated May 13, 1924, to S. S. Mims, details an "Apparatus for Treating Vegetables". The apparatus includes a structure having a multi-wall chamber, wherein vegetables such as sweet potatoes, as well as fruits, hay, tobacco and the like, can be exposed to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gases generated within the enclosure. The chamber features spaced side walls, in order to incorporate a dead air space therebetween for insulation purposes. A "Method of Smoking Food and Apparatus For Use in Connection Therewith" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,804, dated June 24, 1941, to M. Lipschutz. The device in which the method is practiced includes an inner cylindrical chamber located within an outer enclosure, which inner chamber includes an outer concentric area for receiving wood chips and an unobstructed inner core provided with openings therein for generating smoke from the smoldering wood chips. A small fire is used to ignite the wood chips and create the smoke, which is channeled through a connecting conduit to a smokehouse containing food to be smoked. A "Barbeque Truck" is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,941, dated Sept. 16, 1958, to J. M. Cogar. The barbeque truck includes a firebox located adjacent to a smoking chamber, wherein smoke is transferred from the burning fuel through the smoking chamber and from the smoking chamber to a chimney provided with a damper.
It is an object of this invention to provide a smoking and baking apparatus which is characterized by an enclosure having an inner and an outer wall that define a smoke channel, a firebox for generating smoke through the smoke channel in smoking and baking mode under circumstances where a removable water pan is located in the enclosure above the firebox and beneath a cooking chamber defined by the inner wall, and further including at least one closure or door and a chimney, the lower end of which communicates with the cooking chamber and the upper end of which is vented to the atmosphere, such that the smoke is deflected by the water pan through the channel, downwardly through the cooking chamber across the food to be smoked and cooked, and upwardly through the chimney.
Another object of this invention is to provide a smoking and baking apparatus which can be converted to a barbeque and grilling apparatus by removing a water pan from the apparatus, which apparatus includes a cabinet having at least one door and an inner and outer wall that define an channel therebetween, a firebox and fuel tray located in the bottom of the cabinet, an air vent provided in the outer wall in communication with the firebox, a cooking chamber defined by the inner wall and located above the firebox, a chimney having a bottom end communicating with the cooking chamber and a top end vented to the atmosphere, wherein the water pan is adapted for removably seating in the cabinet between the firebox chamber and the cooking chamber to place the apparatus in smoking and baking mode and the water pan is removed from the cabinet to convert the apparatus to the barbequing and grilling mode.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved smoking, baking, grilling and barbequing apparatus which includes a firebox containing a removable fuel tray, an internal annulus communicating with the firebox, a cooking chamber located above the firebox, a chimney having one end communicating with the cooking chamber and the other end vented to the atmosphere and two doors, one of which closes the cooking chamber and the other closing the firebox, wherein a removable water pan is positioned between the cooking chamber and the firebox to introduce moisture into the cooking chamber and divert smoke through the channel and cooking chamber to increase smoke retention time with food to be smoked in a smoking and baking mode, and the water pan is removed from the apparatus for directly applying smoke and heat from the firebox to the cooking chamber.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved smoking and baking apparatus which is designed to use a removable water tray or pan for optionally directing smoke and heat through an channel located in the apparatus enclosure into a cooking chamber and a chimney, in order to increase the smoke-food contact and provide a smoking and baking function, and directly into the cooking chamber for grilling and barbeque cooking.